experienced much bad weather, which
delayed our arrival so long that we had expended all our bread and were
reduced to a very small proportion of water:

April 25.

We however succeeded in effecting our arrival at Sydney by the 25th,
after an absence of 344 days.

CHAPTER 5.
The Bathurst sails for England.
Remarks upon some errors in the hydrography of the south coast of Van
Diemen's Land.
King George the Third's Sound.
Passage to the Cape of Good Hope.
Cross the Atlantic, and arrive at Plymouth Sound.
Observations upon the voyages, and conclusion.

1822. April 25 to September 25.

Upon an examination of the brig's defects after our arrival at Port
Jackson her stern and cut-water were found so defective as to require a
considerable repair; but from the difficulty of procuring seasoned wood,
so long a time elapsed before it was effected that we were not ready for
sea until the beginning of September, when other delays of minor
importance detained us until the 25th.

At Port Jackson I found orders from the Lords Commissioners of the
Admiralty to return to England in the Bathurst when the survey should be
completed; but as we were in want of many things that the colony could
not furnish, and as we should be detained until the month of February
before the monsoon would allow of our going upon the coast; it was deemed
most advantageous for the public service to return without making another
voyage. Accordingly on the 25th September we sailed from Sydney with the
intention of proceeding to the north through Torres Strait, and calling
at the Mauritius on our way; but no sooner had we put to sea than a hard
gale set in from the north which induced me to bear up and either to go
round Van Diemen's Land to the westward, if the wind should favour such a
proceeding, or, by doubling the south end of New Zealand to make the
eastern passage round Cape Horn.

1822. October 6.

Having reached the south-east end of Van Diemen's Land on the 6th of
October, and a fresh north-easterly wind setting in at the same time, I
determined upon adopting the first plan; and therefore proceeded round
the south side of the island, in doing which I had the opportunity of
verifying some observations formerly taken by which it appeared that the
coast between Storm Bay and the South-west Cape was very erroneously laid
down both by Captain Flinders and the French expeditions under
d'Entrecasteaux and Baudin.

On my voyage to Macquarie Ha